Using Free Agency to Get Younger | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Using Free Agency to Get Younger

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Frank B

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I am a proponent of building the core of a team through the draft, but I think Saban and Mueller can make this team better and younger through free agency. Sometimes the best free agent finds are the young restricted free agents or the practice squad free agents. As a fan, I'm not looking for a big free agent acquistion like Lance Briggs or Tony Gonzalez, I just hope Saban and Mueller can find a handful of talented guys that may not be starting or may be underappreciated on their current teams, and these guys can come in and fit our system. The Patriots and the Steelers have sustained success for years with players that other teams did not want.
 
I actually rather like the current strategy -- bring in older veterans few teams want via free agency to provide leadership and fill holes not gotten to via the draft yet. Younger free agents will either be crappier players or will be more expensive.
 
Thing is, it's not an "either-or" proposition... it's a combination of melding the 2, to fit and mold a cohesive unit fitting of the type of players Saban is searching for. It's not black or white! If you go only vets, you get old quick with more extreme salary cap hits... if you go only young guys, you don't know what you get and risk losing chemistry, and adding too many dazed and confused newbies to the mix!
 
alienalias said:
Thing is, it's not an "either-or" proposition... it's a combination of melding the 2, to fit and mold a cohesive unit fitting of the type of players Saban is searching for. It's not black or white! If you go only vets, you get old quick with more extreme salary cap hits... if you go only young guys, you don't know what you get and risk losing chemistry, and adding too many dazed and confused newbies to the mix!
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Agreed. I've also come to notice how most veterans Saban has added in his tenure, with the exception of Kevin Carter and L.J. Shelton, have been to pretty short-term 2 and 3 year deals while adding younger guys at those subsequent positions to groom.
 
good teams use the draft to get younger and most superstars are drafted, FA means less and less because teams are not letting the good players go. FA is for filling holes. I do want Adualius Thomas though
 
Jimmy James said:
I actually rather like the current strategy -- bring in older veterans few teams want via free agency to provide leadership and fill holes not gotten to via the draft yet. Younger free agents will either be crappier players or will be more expensive.
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I like the strategy too. Older guys have been around the block and seen many things and they're easier to adapt.

You draft some guys that will come up slow and replace them, like Matt Roth.
 
I like how Shula did it. He preferred a young guy over an old veteran if he acquired a new player. Don didn't have a lot of stars on his teams. He had team players (a lot like NE) with a few UNSELFISH stars here and there. He had two superstars at QB - Unitas and Marino. Greise was a good manager of the game and didn't make a lot of mistakes. Joey can be the next Griese if he reduces the mistakes - that's why a lot of coaches and GMs like his potential.

This way he could coach the player, rather than tolerate bad habits.
 
You draft some guys that will come up slow and replace them, like Matt Roth.
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I like the strategy when it works...like it has in Roth's case. I don't know if it has worked effectively in the case of the DT spot. We now have aging veterans in Traylor, Wilkinson, and Zgonina, and all we have is untested (Evans, R. Wright, Vickerson) or flaky (Manny Wright) talent backing them up. We've drafted 4 DTs in the last two years, and I wouldn't be comfortable saying that any of them will be long term starters.
 
Well we might have to draft a young CB, looks like Clements will be staying put.

The Bills' Nate Clements is one of the best corners in the league. But it's unfathomable to think the fast-improving Bills, who are projected to have $39.7 million in cap space, will let him make it to free agency. -- Philadelphia Daily News
 
Well, defensive line is the area that really needs to get younger. Fortunately, there seems like there are some good, young players out there.

Cory Redding, is one. He's a 6'4" 290 pound guy who could probabaly be a younger alternative to Vonnie Holliday. He's got experience at DE and as a 1-gap DT.

Rien Long is another one. He's 6'6" 300 pounds, and might fly some under the radar because he was hurt this season.

Terdell Sands has been one of the few bright spots in Oakland this season. He's a 6'7" 340 pound 2-gap DL with experience at Nose Tackle.

Ian Scott is a 6'3" 300 pound guy that the Bears have been using situationally as a 2-gap guy, and might be a good replacement for Zgonina.
 
icephinfan said:
Well we might have to draft a young CB, looks like Clements will be staying put.

The Bills' Nate Clements is one of the best corners in the league. But it's unfathomable to think the fast-improving Bills, who are projected to have $39.7 million in cap space, will let him make it to free agency. -- Philadelphia Daily News
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Samuel?
 
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